By David Forsythe,Irishexaminer.com
Copyright irishexaminer
Several males with dogs were observed hunting on the land but did not have permission to do so.
When gardaí arrived two males with lurcher dogs were observed walking out through a farmyard in possession of a large lamp of type used to locate prey.
One of the men was identified as James Williams, a 25-year-old ice cream vendor with an address at Churchfield Gardens, Churchfield, Cork.
The court heard that Williams admitted he did not have permission to be on the land and had 12 previous convictions.
Defence solicitor David O’Meara said that Williams lived with his grandmother in Churchfield and said that he was walking on the public road at the time.
Mr O’Meara said there was an “ingrained” culture of hunting on the northside of the city, which traditionally had seen hunters enter farmlands, even though they may not have had permission.
Judge Colm Roberts said “it wouldn’t take a genius to join the dots” in regards to what the men were doing that night.
He said that calling the activity hunting gave it “a kind of grandeur” which he thought it did not deserve.
He said: “You are talking about little bunnies and two lurchers, it’s a massacre. This is not a sport, it’s bloodthirsty.”
Williams was convicted, fined €250, and given three months to pay the fine.
This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
